And because of the “larger size and weight” of the Sikorskys, the main arterial route could be closed every time they land at the hospital’s helipad.

A spokeswoman for the Maritime and Coatguard Agency (MCA) said that a new ten year contract had been signed with Bristow Helicopters Ltd to operate the search and rescue helicopter service, which will be delivered from ten bases around the country.

The spokeswoman said: “The first bases to open were at Humberside and Inverness. From Humberside, Bristow crews are delivering the UK SAR helicopter service with state-of-the-art helicopters, equipped with the latest search and rescue technology including night vision, mission management and increased on board medical capabilities.

“The larger size and weight of the Sikorsky S92 aircraft creates a slightly stronger downwash than the Sea King.

“The helipad at James Cook Hospital is directly adjacent to the road. When landing in public areas further precautions are taken at the captain’s discretion to ensure public safety.”

Officers from Cleveland Police’s Roads Policing Unit were on scene to help with the road closure on June 27, after a climber fell around 10 metres at Sutton Bank, suffering leg and shoulder injuries.

Members of Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team had been tasked to help the injured climber, but due to the location the team requested the assistance of the Coastguard helicopter, for the first time since it took over from the Sea King.

A spokeswoman for Cleveland Police said: “We were asked to close the road to ensure the safety of the public whilst the helicopter landed, we were told in good time and the road was closed for a matter of minutes so that there was little impact to traffic on the road.

“Requests to assist these helicopters are very rare and did not cause a resourcing issue. We are proud of the partnership working in Cleveland to help save lives.”